I was at Loudon, June 14 – 16 for the Festival of Sidecars. It was my first visit to the track. The weather was great and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It is a very busy track and hard work on a sidecar. I was passenger on the F1 and took my vintage rig. Ewan could not make the trip so I asked Steve, a long time sidecar racer, if he would like to drive a vintage rig. This was Steve’s first time on a vintage rig and it was great to watch as he learned their capabilities and differences. His smile just got bigger each time we went out, especially when we finally resolved the clutch issue. There was some excitement during the last race when my toe hold first rotated and then a lap later came adrift! There were some exciting corners while I was attempting to retrieve it and throw it off the track. Having a left hand chair is definitely a disadvantage at Loudon but we did our best. Eleven vintage rigs on the track was quite a sight.
There was a lot of spectator support for the sidecars. Rigs drifting, chair wheels in the air, passengers moving from side to side – all very entertaining to watch. There is no entry fee for sidecars and there is a race and a practice session on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It is a long drive but I hope we can get a few more Canadian vintage teams there next year.
